Elixir Strings Unveils Natural Feel Coated Electric Strings

Elixir® Strings, the leading innovator in coated guitar string technology, announces a new addition to their lineup of electric guitar strings. OPTIWEB Coating is a new, innovative lightweight coating that sounds indistinguishable from uncoated strings*, but with the long lasting tone life of Elixir Strings.

NAMM, Anaheim, CA – Elixir® Strings, the leading innovator in coated guitar string technology, announces a new addition to their lineup of electric guitar strings. OPTIWEB Coating is a new, innovative lightweight coating that sounds indistinguishable from uncoated strings*, but with the long lasting tone life of Elixir Strings.

“Guitarists who choose uncoated strings for their natural feel and tone used to have to compromise on tone life,” said Jason Zambotti, product specialist for W. L. Gore & Associates, parent company of Elixir Strings. “Now, with our latest advancement in electric string coating, you can have the best of both worlds – the performance of a natural string and the extended tone life of a coated one.”

Uncoated strings are popular for their crisp tone, natural feel and playable grip, which come at the expense of tone life. Dirt, sweat, oils and air can quickly drain the life from a guitar string, making more frequent changes necessary, which can be both inconvenient and costly.

The key innovation behind the OPTIWEB Coating is a proprietary process that produces a lightweight coating, which not only protects the string from the elements for longer tone life, but also allows the string to vibrate with less damping – for a crisp tone with a firm, natural grip, putting you in control of bends, vibrato and sustain.

Guitarists have reported that they could not tell the difference in the sound of OPTIWEB Coated strings compared to uncoated strings during play-testing, which was confirmed by A/B sound testing in the studio: www.elixirstrings.com/experience.

OPTIWEB Coated Strings features and benefits:

Crisp tone show after show, session after session

Natural feel and grip for ultimate playability

Longer tone life for less frequent string changes

Elixir Strings tapped into decades of their innovative string coating technology as well as extensive field-testing to produce a product with appeal to a wide range of guitar players. The following is actual feedback from a range of performing and recording guitar players who participated in Elixir Strings’ extensive field-testing:

“These strings hit the mark for me. They have a nice well-balanced sound. The feel is comfortable and not a struggle to play! I don't even notice the coating.”

“I couldn't tell they were coated, but they also felt smooth to the touch. Perfect combination of both worlds.”

“They have a nice ‘broken in’ feel out of the box. Nice balanced tone. This is the string I've been waiting for.”

“I am extremely impressed by the feel of these strings - incredibly smooth, without a trace of coating ‘feel’ or greasiness and a super crisp tone.”

“I've personally always been a huge fan of the NANOWEB. But with the new OPTIWEB I feel like there’s a little less separation between my fingers and the strings.”

OPTIWEB Coating joins the Elixir Strings family of electric guitar strings and brings a wider choice of coating options to compliment every guitarist’s desired tone and feel. You may prefer the original POLYWEB® Coating, with a warm tone and slick feel, or NANOWEB® Coating, with a bright tone and smooth feel. All three coatings offer the renowned tone life of Elixir Strings.

About Elixir StringsElixir Strings, the pioneer in coated string technology, is the only brand to coat the entire string. Both the outer string and the gaps between the windings are protected from debris that builds up, contaminating strings and killing tone. Elixir Strings are available in a full range of gauges for acoustic, electric and bass guitars, banjo and mandolin.

Elixir Strings are manufactured by W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., which has made its name by creating innovative, technology-driven solutions, from medical devices that treat aneurysms to high-performance GORE-TEX® fabrics. A privately held company with annual sales of more than $3 billion, Gore is committed to perpetuating its 50-plus year tradition of product innovation. Learn more at www.gore.com.